On the occurrence of Early Pliocene marine deposits in the Ierapetra Basin, Eastern Crete, Greece

Abstract

A marine sedimentary sequence of the Pakhiammos section that crops out in the Ierapetra Basin (eastern Crete, Greece) is described here in detail for the first time. Diverse and abundant foraminifera have been recovered from the Pakhiammos section. Planktonic species indicate that sediments span the interval from Zone MPL1 to above the MPL1/MPL2 boundary (Zanclean, early Pliocene). R-mode cluster analysis identified three benthic foraminiferal assemblages named by their dominant taxa: <i>Bolivina spathulata</i>, <i>Cibicidoides pseudoungerianus</i>, and <i>Siphonina reticulata</i> assemblages respectively. Palaeoenvironmental implications of each assemblage and their stratigraphic distribution allow the recognition of two fossil associations: a well-diversified Association A, representative of a stable marine ecosystem, and a less diversified Association B, representative of a sapropel-like event. The deposition of the sapropel-like interval suggests that sapropels resulted from the interaction between sea surface temperature variations, productivity increases and reduced bottom water ventilation. This study represents the first report of early Pliocene marine sediments in the Ierapetra Basin and contributes to the understanding of the evolution of the Neogene basins in eastern Crete

A record of the Messinian salinity crisis in the eastern Ionian tectonically active domain (Greece, eastern Mediterranean)

“…) dated at 5.235 Ma (Lourens et al ., ), below the Sphaeroidinellopsis Acme End (5.21 Ma). The sinistral shifts of N. acostaensis at 7.8 and 8.52 m are ascribed to the first and second N. acostaensis sinistral shifts that are reported from several Mediterranean Lower Pliocene sections (di Stefano et al ., ; Lourens et al ., ; Iaccarino et al ., 1999; Pierre et al ., ; Gennari, ; Drinia et al ., ), dated at 5.330 and 5.281 Ma (Lourens et al ., ) and correlated with the base of cycle 2‐top cycle 1 and the base of cycle 2‐top cycle 3, respectively. The base of the Sphaeroidinellopsis Acme Zone, recorded at 8.3 m, and its top, at 11.3 m, correspond to the cycle 2 and the base of cycle 6, respectively.…”

Identifying the onset of the Messinian salinity crisis: a reassessment of the biochronostratigraphic tools (Piedmont Basin, NW Italy)

“…and Brizalina spp. assemblages, known as characterising organic-rich bottom sediments and tolerating dysoxic conditions (Barmawidjaja et al 1992, Gooday 1988, Drinia et al 2008, De Almeida et al 2015. High runoff from the continent is also suggested by the high amount of shallow-water taxa among benthic foraminifers, possibly reworked from shallower waters.…”

Morphotectonic analysis, structural evolution/pattern of a contractional ridge: Giouchtas Mt., Central Crete, Greece

“…The Miocene exposure contains fluvial-lacustrine clays of middle Miocene age and Tortonian marine and fluvial conglomerates, which contains planktonic and benthic foraminifera and ostracodes assigned to an inner neritic environment. Pliocene marine sediments are defined by the presence of Globigerinoides ruber and Sphaeroidinellopsis seminulina (figure 4b and c), (Drinia et al 2008). These sediments were previously reported (geological map of Greece (1:50,000, Epano Archanes Sheet)) as middle Miocene fluvial and lacustrine clays.…”